Sectional tube-ladder



J. A THOLLANDER.

SECTIONAL TUBE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1919.

Patented May 18, 1920.

5] mum W01 Gum u;

6 @uw ww l'l'lll ll JOHIIA. THOLLANDER, 0F PIEDMONT, FLORIDA;

SECTIONAL TUBE-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed December 15, 1919. Serial No. 844,824.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN A. Tnon- LANDER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Piedmont, in the county of Orange and tate of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Tube-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sectional tube ladders, and belon s to that class of ladders whereof the uprig ts, and rounds or rungs are made of metal. tubes in sections WlllCh may be removably joined together end to end to form a ladder of thedesired length.

This invention is to be made of light metal tubes, andthe metal aluminum may be ut1- lized in its construction. The reason for" using that metal is-on account of its li htness and durability. The appllcant as been an orange grower for many years, and

in the older orange groves there is need. for relatively longladders, and although they may be made of light wood, they are stillv heavy, especially when they run up to about thirty feet or so in length. It takes a strong man to handle them particularly in windy weather, when they very easily become overbalanced. Under such conditions sometimes the picker is not able to control the ladder, and has to let it go, and it quite often falls upon the tree doing damage 1n breaking the limbs. When picking fruit the ladder has to be moved repeatedly, which is laborious for the pickers to: do. Another thing is that in rainy weather the porous wood of the ladders takes in a good deal of water, making the ladder still heavier.

The objection to wooden ladders is believed to be very largely overcome by the use of this invention, and the object of this invention is the production of 'a sectional tube ladder having parts of special construction and arrangement.

To illustrate the forms and disposition of the parts, the accompanying drawings are made a portion of this application. Figure 1 represents a front view of a ladder showing portions of two sections thereof constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a view on a somewhat enlarged scale of drawing, showing the constructlon and arrangement of theparts forming the junctions of the sections, and showing also the forms and'engagement between the ends of the rungs and the uprights. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing the side of one of the lower uprights which is rovided with a.

. sharp foot or toe for engaging the ground,

the same letter is employed to refer to the same part.

Considering the drawings, the lower section of the ladder has the tubular uprights A and -B connected b rungs or rounds C which are also tubes. he lower ends of the uprights A and B are in ractice usually bent outwardly. Those en s in Fig. 1 are marked D and E, and the terminations of those ends are formed by cutting the tubular uprlghts in a plane inclined to the axis of the tubes, resulting in relatively sharp feet or toes F and G. When the ladder is set up, these toes or feet engage the ground as illustrated in Fig. 3, and maintain the bottom of the ladder in place and prevent it from slipping even when the earth is moist.

Joined to the lower section atthe top is a second section comprising the tubular uprights or sides H and J and they are connectedby rounds K which are like rounds C mentioned. The lower ends of the uprlghts H and J have expanded annular terminations such as the extensionL which rest as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, upon the upper ends of the sections of the uprights A and B. Within the ends of the uprights H and J thus provided with the expanded portions there are located short tubes such as the tube M. "The short tubes are secured in the said ends of the uprights H and J by rivets or spot welds such as m in Fig. 2, and the short tubes are additionally secured by passing the end of the rung K through the upright H and through the short tube M in the upright until the enlargement N strikes against the side of the upright. Then the end 0 of the rung K thus passed through the two tubes is formed into the expansion P on the outer side of the upright H. This:

the short tubes M areintroduced into the explained the mode of its operation, what I claim is:-

1. In a sectional tube ladder the combi- I nation with tubular uprights divided into sections, of rungs engaging the uprights at intervals, the uprights of one section each having at one end an expanded 'aniiular portion, short tubes located within the said ends of the upright tubes having said expanded portions and projecting beyond the said ends, means for securing t tubes in the'said ends of the uprights, and

the said short tubes bein constructed to fit movably in the ends of t e next sections ofv v the uprights. 3.

n a sectional tube ladder, the combi-. nation with tubular uprights divided into sections, of rungs engaging the upri hts at intervals, the uprights of one section aving tubular rung passing e said short at their lower ends expanded annular poitions, short tubes located in the said ends of the uprights having the expanded portions an extending beyond said ends, the said short tubes being constructed to fit movabl tions 0 the uprights to join them to ether, and means for securing the short tlfiies in the said ends of the uprights includin a h through the 'uprig ts and through the sa1 short tubes in the uprights, the said rung havin its ends expanded against the outer si es of the uprights and having expanded portions arranged against the uprights on the other sides of the uprights to prevent endwise dis placement of the rung. a

4. In a sectional tube ladder,- the combination with tubular uprights, of rungs connecting the said uprights at intervals, the lower ends of the lowersectionsof the said uprights being cut transversely in a plane inclined to the axis of the tubular upright whereby a sharp foot is provided for engagin the ground.

n testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN A. THOLLANDER.

within the ends of the next sec- 

